Contact terminals used in electrical connectors are made by stamping from a copper sheet. To improve the electrical connectivity, the contact terminals are typically plated with materials of better electrical conductivity e.g. gold. The quality, process operability and production cost of the plating process depend largely on the quality of the surface of the contact terminals being plated. Copper sheet are made by rolling process, and the main sheet surface (rolled surface) has a relatively high surface quality. Stamping process generates a cutting surface or edge on the contact terminals when the terminals are blanked off from the copper sheet. Due to design constraints, structural restrictions, manufacturing limitations, however, in some types of connectors the cutting surface or edge has to be selected as the contact surface for connecting to a counterpart connector. In such types of connectors, for example in known modular jack connectors, the plating process are carried out at the cutting surface hence it is difficult to ensure the plating quality.
It is therefore desirable to provide an electrical connector in which the contact terminals are configured to be suitable for plating and better electrical connection performance. Plating quality for terminals of such connector can be improved and with high productivity.